Falling on Dead Ears

She watched from the kitchen as she prepared lunch. The dirt bikes flying and soaring through the air and they twisted and turned or the rider decided to simply throw themselves around the bike.

They were all training for some giant competition. So many people came and went from Travis’s house she lost track of all their names despite the fact they were constantly introduced to her. She knew all the faces, just didn’t have names.

Her eyes dropped to the sink where she was washing vegetables for lunch. Sighing softly she lifted her eyes to the window just in time to watch Travis fall again. He rolled to a stop and sat up, slapping the dirt and just sitting there for a second. With each fall it took him longer to get up and try it again.

Shaking her head she put the vegetables into a drainer and turned the water off. Drying her hands she stepped out onto the porch watching as Travis finally managed to get up, slowly, and make his way towards his bike.

Even with a helmet on he looked so defeated. His low sagging shoulders, his slightly hunched way, and the tiring slow pace he moved at.

Shaking her head she moved down the grassy hill towards everyone else standing around and watching Travis with his slowly fading crazy eyes. Not even Travis could figure out why he couldn’t land a simple back flip trick he’d done a million plus times. He had the right speed, rotation time, ramp size, and gap. Yet he still couldn’t land it.

Ellie stood with the group as Travis brought his bike around again and tried again, falling again. Travis sat in the dirt and stared at his bike still running a few feet in front of him. The group waited for him to get up or announce that he was giving up.

Ellie shook her head and began hiking up the dirt hill, the bottom of her white dress dragging in the dirt. Sighing she knelt down behind him and gently took hold of his shoulders.

Travis looked at her and frowned. She simply smiled and kissed the forehead of his helmet before getting up and heading back down the hill. He watched as she barely stopped in the group to look at him before heading up the hill to the house.

Jumping to his feet he ran to his bike, grabbing it. The group turned to watch Ellie go as she dusted dirt off the front of her white dress.

“What the hell just happened?” Renner asked gently as Travis hit the jump again.

“Ellie just happened.” The rest of the group chorused lightly. Ellie always made everything better. She had the holy touch it seemed, especially when it came to Travis.

“Whoa…she’s a miracle worker.” He laughed softly.

“Wait till you try her pie.” Tommy smiled over at the whip-master before over at Travis running to his bike again. He still wasn’t landing it but he sure felt a hell of a lot better that he was failing. He’d never been so happy to fail before, but suddenly he was.

“Wait… she works miracles on the dirt and in the kitchen?” Renner gasped.

“We have an over under bet of what flavor the next pie will be. She never makes the same one.” Andy laughed as Travis landed his trick and the group laughed and cheered for him. Travis lifted his hands as he stopped before doing a few doughnuts just for the hell of it.

“Wow…So wait…” Renner lifted his index fingers as he tried to process what was going on. Travis went back to jumping and Ellie was back inside making lunch for everyone. “Travis hooked himself a homemaker?” He asked stunned eyeing the group. “A hot one no-less?” He nearly squeaked. Jolene frowned at him.

“I’m telling your wife you said that.” She mumbled. Renner shrugged.

“And she’s a damn good homemaker.” Jim laughed as Travis managed a double back flip no problem. The whole group cheered and rushed the man as he stumbled off his bike letting his hand thump over his chest as his heart beat quicker than normal. He hadn’t been planning on doing that.

Ellie smiled from the kitchen as she glanced back at the oven and wandered over checking the food cooking inside. Smiling, she turned and jumped at Robert and Debbie sitting at the table.

Pausing she placed a hand over her heart. Last time she’d checked they were outside watching their son train. Looking up, both were smiling at her.

“What’cha makin’?” Robert laughed at the stunned girl. Ellie simply signed a ‘food’ at him. “Wow, just as vague as Travis when he’s making microwave pizzas.” Debbie laughed and nodded at him. It was true. Travis would sit on the counter and watch the microwave like it was breaking news and when asked what he was making he’d simply say ‘food’, nothing more on what it was.

“So…” Debbie stopped as she noticed Ellie wasn’t paying attention to them any more, she was too busy being attacked by the rest of the group.

Travis had scooped her up while the others peered inside the oven. She began smacking at all of them, trying to get them to leave. It wasn’t working in her favor.

“I win! I win!” Jim declared, finger in the air as he eyed his food thirty minutes later. “I win! I win!” he laughed as the others scowled.

“What?” Travis questioned as Ellie gave them a startled flabbergasted look.

“I win!” Jim sang softly. “I win!” He sang again until Andy hit him in the head.

“We get it you win. It’s strawberry you dick!” He laughed. Jim stuck his tongue out and took and bite. “And it’s good, we know.” He added as Jim’s face lit up at the taste.

“Question.” Travis waved his hand in the air. “What’s goin’ on?” He laughed.

“We have an over under bet for the next pie flavors, but you can’t play.” Tommy mused simply. Travis frowned. He wanted to play. That sounded like a fun game.

“Why not?” he pouted slightly, a small laugh to his words.

“Cause if you ask, you get. If we ask, we don’t get. That’s no fair.” He added. Travis bobbed his head and nodded as Jolene prodded his side and simply coughed. Travis laughed and nodded.

“I see.” He laughed. “Alright, alright.” He lifted his hands as Ellie frowned. They were making bet’s on her cooking? She voiced this and they all simply nodded.

She then asked what was so great about her cooking.

“Everything!” They gasped. She stumbled back at Renner jumped up with his yell. Travis glared at his friend before helping her up. Renner muttered a sheepish sorry and went back to eating as Ellie rolled her eyes.

“So you know what I just realized.” Renner mused as lunch drew closed and Ellie was cleaning up with Debbie. “You’re a world record breaking moto dude, and she’s,” he pointed at Debbie trying to talk with Ellie. “Could easily be the next Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray, and all those T.V. cooks in one. Why isn’t she apart of iron chef yet?” he laughed as the group did.